Woman, Teen Charged For Killing Infant Found On Corona Roadside
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) – A 22-year-old Corona woman and a teen boy accused of killing an infant and dumping the body near Interstate 15 are slated to be arraigned next week in Riverside.
Shawna Joelle Andritch is charged with the July murder of "Baby Jane Doe."
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Andritch and a 17-year-old boy, whose name was not released due to his age, were arrested Dec. 7 following a Corona police investigation that identified the pair through tips given to detectives after the infant was buried at Sunnyslope Cemetery exactly one week ago.
Andritch made her initial court appearance Tuesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice and was appointed a public defender. She's being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside pending arraignment on Dec. 20.
The boy's case was referred to juvenile dependency court. Information regarding his status was expected to be released later this afternoon or tomorrow by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.
The child, who has yet to be identified, was discovered by passers-by on the afternoon of July 27 near I-15 and Cajalco Road. The infant's gender and exact age have not been released.
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Coroner's officials could not determine a specific cause of death, or how many days old she was before she died.
The case triggered community outrage, and police turned to the public for help identifying the baby's parents, but few clues were forthcoming.
Corona public safety officials raised funds to pay for the baby's burial at Sunnyslope, which generated additional publicity about the case.
Corona police Sgt. Chad Fountain said that immediately after the service, detectives received credible tips concerning who might be responsible for the infant's death. The information culminated in the questioning of Andritch and the teen, who were arrested after giving statements to police, Fountain said.
He would not disclose what they said, or any other circumstances surrounding their arrests.
Andritch has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
